A space usually full of colour and vitality now lies fallow. 

It’s desolate here; the wind is fierce and the sand is hard. 

A grim picture of grey awaits wanton wanderers. 

No families dance here now, 

their laughter has been drowned by the waves. 

 like an abandoned fairground, 

There’s a solemn beauty about the deserted shore, 

 always graciously hoping for another chance to entertain. 

But that’s the paradox of the beach in winter. 

Its annual renaissance is never far away and 

its sober silence sits astride a confidence of more glory forthcoming. 

Vibrancy will return to the sands and so too will the laughter. - Robert Siney

Queen Ernestine

Ernestine Sanders is a CEO, teacher, mentor, mother, and grandmother (to me). She was born in Gary, Indiana in 1944. She was given nothing and made everything she has with the sheer will and determination she has had since birth. Raising three young black children in the 80's and 90's and working multiple jobs at the same time is one of her largest accomplishments. Compromising luxuries for her self but in order to put her children in private school shows her dedication and strong view for the future of her family. This is a woman that dedicates her life to saving babies with her powerful mind and influence, while still being an active and supportive maternal pillar to everyone in her personal life.

Homeless Black Men and Women in Chicago

The plight of the homeless black man and woman is constantly ignored . I often walk past homeless people outside of my apartment everyday and pretend to not hear their pleading. I made a decision to no longer be apart of the majority. There are over 100, 000 homeless people living in Chicago, and 76% of that population are black men and women. This number of black homeless people is largely based on systematic racism, mental and physical disabilities, and neglect. The goal of this project was to make the homeless people feel like PEOPLE again; by asking their name, giving a smile, and looking in their eyes. The population that line the city streets of Chicago are constantly forgotten and through this essay some will again be remembered.

                                                       Brenda